Dump-car doors.



C. H CLARK.

DUMP CM? DOORS.

APPLICATION HLEE APR. 3. m1.

Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

i QM i oi 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

n F //v VEN 0R"- C. H. CLARK.

DUMP (iAR'DOORS.

.wucmon man mm. 19

Patented @1220, 1915.

3 SKIRTS-SHEET 2.

Iii ii IEIIIII W/T/VESSES C. H. CLARK.

DUMP CAR nooas.

APPLICATION FILED APFLS 1911. 1 136 31? Patented M32120, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

W/T/VESSES ran oasis CHARLES H. CLARK, 01" CRAFTOEQ', PEEZISYLVANEA, ASSIGNOR T CLARK GAR COMPANY, OF PITTSBUEGH, IPEIQ'NSYLVANIA, A CGRPGMTIOH OF NEW sensor.

'To all whom ir'may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. CLARK, a resident of Grafton, in the county oi Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Dump-Car Doors, of which the following is a specification.

The ohect of this invention is provide a dump car door mechanism of improved construction wherein when the door is closed its load-supporting surface is at a lesser an gle than the angle of friction of the lading, provision being had for increasing the angle of the door as it moves from closed po sition so that all of the lading is discharged. The angle of the door when in open position must at least equal the angle friction, and in the present invention this is accomplishedwithin limits that simplify and render easy the closing operation. It is also necessary that the door shall operate without interfering with either the triiclrs or the track, and also without so elevating the hopper, or contracting its load space, as to curtail its capacity.

To secure high efiiciency in a dump car door of bodily movable type, the door should be rotatable as Well as movable bodily, and the direction'of bodily movement should at all times bear such relation to the rotation of the door that the angle of bodily motion, combined with the angle of the door produced by its rotation, is greater than the angle corresponding to the coefficient of friction of the load on the door, Without, however, such greater angle being excessive over the friction at any position of the door, as such requires a corresponding increase of work to oil close the door.

The foregoing conditions are met. by the door of this invention which is so me L as to move bodily and also to rotate about a single axis instead of a plurality of axes 4.5 as, for example, in my patent of November \9, .1909, No. 939,588. The door and its hangers constitute a pendulum which swings about its axis or center of'oscillation,,while the door proper rotates about the center of 0 gyration of the pendulum.

The present adaptation is further char acterized by an arrangement of door supports which cause the door to start-from closed position in a downwardly curved Specification of Letters etent Pagented Apr, 2@, 1915,

Application filed a -rn a, 191i.

Serial No. 618,523.

'tion for discharging the lading.

ll hile many of the important features of the invention are embodied in one or a sin gle door, a further feature is the proyisionf pair of opposed cooperating doors, each possessing the characteristics to which reference has been made, with the doors preferably so arranged as to have unitary bodily increment; also to provide such doors with looking devices mounted thereon and which cooperate in such Way that the doors may be either locked or released from either side of the car. 7

in the'acconipanying drawings,- Figure l is an elevation of the door mounting, the'car .raine being shown in section on line 1-1 of Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a View in top planoi one of the door-supporting niechanisins and portions of the doors. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portion of a car equipped with the improved door mechanism, part thereof being broken away. Fig. & is a sectional detail on line i-l of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 2 designates the sloping side sheets, and 3 the end sheets "of the hopper, the latter provided with the depending aprons laround which the door ends close, 5 are the doors, and (3 their no turned ends. 7 is a beam on the under side of each door with its projecting ends 8 each provided 'ith bracket. 9 which forms a bearing for the trunnion pin 10. The axes 01" trunnions 10 are horizontal, and the trunnions at opposite ends of each door are in axial line with each other and define the axis about which the door rotates. Each door is wholly. supported about this axis,

and the supporting means is so sustained as to be me able relatively to the door-closed space, thus affording the door its bodily movement as distinguished from its rotary or axial movement.

in .the present adaptation the movable door supports are embodied in links 11, which at their lower ends provide hearings for the trunnion pins 10, and at their upper ends are sustained and swing on pins 12 in direction transyersely of the door-closed opening. Pins 12 may he variously sus taiiied. As here shown they comprise the spindles of rollers 13, with each roller movable in a depressed horizontal track portion 14 of bar 15 which may be supported transversely of the car in any suitable manner, in the present instance being secured to draft sills 16. Each link 11 is in effect a p'endu lum arm of which supporting pin 12 is ,the center about which the pendulum oscillates, while trunnions 10 define the'center of gyration of the pendulum and about which the door proper rotates.

Two .doors are here shown arranged to close together at their lower edges at the center line of the car, and when thus closed each of supporting links 11 extends inward from a vertical line intersecting the-pin 12, the inner end of depressed track 14 stopping roller 13 in order to maintain the links in the position described. The inclination of each door when closed may be less than the angle of friction of the doonsupporteid lading, so that when the door opens its inclination is increased for discharging the load. \Vith' links 11 deflected from the vertical as above described, the bodily movement of the doors causes their lower edges to move in a downward and outward direction as they start from closed position and "until pins 10 aline Vertically with pins 12, after which the bodily movement of the doors is in the direction defined by tracks 14, in the present embodiment such movement being horizontal; as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Coineidentally with such horizontal movementthe inclination of each door may be increased by its rotation on-axle pins 10. The extent of such rotation varies. It may not be appreciable, and again it .may be as full as possible throughout the opening movement. l/Vhatever' the rotation, deter mined by the conditions attending each dumping ope1' ation,.the door is unconfined and may or may not rotate While dumping the load as conditions may determine, the only limitation being the provision of means for stopping its rotation when fully open, also means for defining maximum rotation if attained before the door is'.fillly open.- T he doors may swing upwardly against the side sheets, as in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the

' latter serving to define the maximum opening rotation at any position of the doors between fully open and closed positions. Shoes 18 on the side sheets are engaged by the doors, and the outturne d upper ends 19 of the shoes form stops foi their upper edges which, together with stops 20 on track bar 15 for links 11, limit the opening movement. It'the upper edges of the doorsare not in engagement with shoes 19 when stops 20 are engaged bylinks 11, the'stopping of the latter will cause the doors to rotate until their upper edges engage stops 19.

While the center of gravity of the door may be variously located, the arrangement is preferably such that its position is inward slightly from the door axis defined by pins 10 when the door is closed, as thereby the described initial movement of the door is assured, and'the door is maintained with its outer portion uppermost when fully open.

' In order that bothdoorsmay be, either released for opening, or-locked in closed position, by one operation, they are crossconnected 'so that operation of one door necessarily results in the operation of the other door. This arrangement is especially desirable when the doors are equipped with cooperating latch devices 21, which may be operated interchangeablefor releasing and for locking the doors, the latch-carrying shafts 22 being 'utilizedfor swinging the doors by hand, all as fully set forth in my Letters Patent of November 9, 1909, No. 939,588. i a

As here embodied the door-connecting mechanism, located at each end of the pair of doors consists of a shaft or spindle 23 which is centered in track bar 15 andqapron 4, Fig. 4, with crank arms 24: of the spindle connected by links 25 with axle pins 10. The desired unitary bodily movement of the doors when opening and when closing is thus secured without interfering with the rotation of the doors about their respective axes. The doors more to open position Without injurious shock and are so nearly bah anced when closed and sustaining the load, and also when open and .i'ree from lead, that they may be manipulated by an openator at either side of the car.

I claim 1. A pair of bodily morable doors for adump car with each door rotatable about a single axis and with the doors wholly supported in all positions thereof at such axes.

2. A pair of opposed bodily movable doors fora dump car adapted to engage each other when closed, each door being rotatable about a single axis and the doors supported. in all positions thereof at such axes, and means for securing the doors together in closed position.

A pair of opposed bodily movable doors for a dump car with each door, roe tatable about a single axis and'with the doors wholly supported in all positions thereof at such axes, and means carried by:

the doors for holding them closed.

4. A pair of opposed bodily movalile doors for a dump car with each door ro- 7 doors for a dump car, each door rotatable about a single axis and with the doors Wholly supported in all positions thereoi at such axes, the axis. of each door being movable laterally from its normal door sustaining position, means for securing the doors together in closed position With said zines deflected from normal position. 6. A pair of opposed bodily movable doors for a dump car, supporting means for each door' a'ithsuch supporting means having a center of oscillation and a center of gyration -with the door revoluble about such center of gyration and with the doors vfiolly supported in all posit-ions thereof at.

the centers of gyration, and means for securing each door to other door when in closed position.

7. in a door for a dump car, the combination of hangers adapted to oscillate about a.

horizontal axis, means for shitting'the axis of oscillation of the hangers, and a door rotat-able about it single axis and supported by the hangers at such azis.

81 El door for a dump car rotatable about a. single axis and wholly supported at such in every position of the door, said aXis being fixed relatively t0 the door and movable relatively the door-closed openin 'i A bodily movable door fora dump car rotatable abouts. horizontal axis and wholly supported at such axis, in combination with pivoted hangers on which the door is supported at its axis of rotation, and shifting supports for the hangers.

7 10. A bodily movable door for a dump car rotatable about a single horizontal mils and wholly supported at such axis, in combinationivith hangers alining with each other longitudinally ofithe door and connected to 4c the r coincidentally with its axis of rotu tion, and shifting sustaining means tor in inclined. bodily movable door for ating hangers sustained the door rotatable on the z a single axis and wholly susaxis, the axis of rotation of axis-of oscillation or" the llel with each other and portion of the door,- and he higher portion of loves to full open poi boeily movable door for ,oorts "mounted to oscillate of movement of the door mounted to ron' an aralleling the longitudiof the door, means fordirecting edge of the door, and stop means engaged a her edge when the door is fully 13. i movable door tor a dump car, and sunporting means arranged to impart only a revolving movementto the door as it starts from closed position and then to impart thereto. simultaneously a combined revolving and rectilinear movement.

14. A bodily movable door for a dump car supported and rotatable about a horizontal axis, and supporting means to which the door is rotatably connected at its axis of rotation with the supporting means arranged to impart only a revolving movement to the door as it starts from open position and to follosv such TQVOlVlIIgJHOVG ment with a combined revolving and rectilinear movement.

, 15. A bodily movable door for a dump car wholly supported and rotatable about a horizontal axis, and movable door-support ing means operating to so move the door as to cause said axis of rotation to move in a downwardly curved line as the door starts from closed position and to then move said axis in a right line during the remainder of the opening movement.

16. A bodily movable rotatable door for a dump car having a single axis of rotation, and supports on which the door rotates, the supports adapted to oscillate about a common axis which shifts relatively to the dooruclosed opening as the door opens and closes.

17. A bodily movable rotatable door for a dump carhavinga single axis of rotation,

tracks, and door supports" movable on the tracks With the door rotatable on said supports.

18. A bodily movable rotatable door for a dump car, tracks, links alining with each other at right angles to the tracks and mounted on rollers which travel on the' tracks with the door mounted to rotate on said links.

19. A bodily movable rotatable door for a dump car, tracks, rollers movable on the tracks, links mounted to oscillate about the roller axes, said links being connected to and supporting the door and on which the door is rotatably mounted.

2 A bodily movable rotatable door for a durnp car, tracks disposed transversely of the door-closed opening, links movably sustained on the tracks, the door rotatable on and supported by the links.

21. A'bodily movable door for a dump car having a single axis of rotation, depending supports connected to the door coincidentally with such axis, and sustaining means for the supports locnted above such axis of rotation of the door and on which the supports are movable bodily during the opening and closing movement of the door.

.22. A bodily movable door for a dump car having a single'axis of rotation, depending supports connected to the door coincidentally with such axis, sustaining means for the supports located above such axis oi 1'0- tation of the door and on which the supports are movable bodily during the opening and closing movement of the door, and means for limiting the rotation of the door.

23. The combination of an open bottom car body, a pair of bodily -movable doors therefor, each door rotatable about a single axis, and depending supports for each door connected thereto at its axis of rotation, the

supports sustained above their connections,

. with the door and movable bodily relatively which the supports are movable bodily as the doors open and close, I p

25. The combination of a dump car hopper, opposite bodily movable doors therefor I inclined when closed and mounted to in-.

crease their'inclination When opening With their higher portions movable upwardly atopposite sides of'the exterior of the hopper and guided thereby, each door rotatable about a single horizontal axis located intermediate its upper andlower edges, and depending supports mounted to oscillate as-thc doors open and close, with the doors wholly supported byand mounted to rotate on said supports;

26. The combination of a pair of bodily movable .doors for a dump car eaclrrotafible about a single axis and wholly supported at such axis, supporting means for the doors,

and means connected to both doors causing them to move bodily in unison.

27. The combination of a pair of bodily movable doors for a dump car each rotatable about asingle axis, and cranks rotatable at the'center of the car and connected to the respective doors at the door axes.

28. The combinat'" a pair of bodily movable doors for a. f I means for each door, ks located at the center of the car at opposite ends of the doors, and connections between the cranks and the doors causing the doors to move bodily in unison.

29. The combination of a pair of bodily movable doors for a dump car, each. door rotatable about a single horizont l axis and wholly supported at such axis, bodily movable supports for the doors, and mechanism causing thedoor supports to move-in unison. 30. The combination of a pair of bod1ly movable doors for a dump car, each door rotatable about a single axis, supports for the I doors movable transversely of the doorclosed opening, and mechanism connected to car, supporting the'doors at their axes of rotation for causing the supports to move in unison.

31. The combination of a pair of bodily movable doors for a dump car, each door supported and rotatable about a single axis,

suppo ltsfor the doors movable bodily trans- ,versely of the door-closed opening, means for limiting the rotary movement of the doors, and cross connecting mechanism for causing the doors to move in unison.

32. The combination of a pair of bodily .movable doors for a dump car, each door'rotatable about a single axis, supports for the...

doors movable bodily transversel of the door-closed opening, a shaft locate between the doors, and cranks on the shaft connected to the doors. I

In testimony whereof I in presence of two Witnesses.

I CHARLES H. CLARK. Witnesses: I

J. M. Nnssrr, F. E. GArrHnn,

' afiix my signature 

